Welcome to the back issues of The Moreland Muster, a genealogical publication for Moreland family researchers, published by Nona Williams from 1987 through 2003. Please leave comments, questions, queries, corrections. Thank you.

1. Bailey Seaton TABB and Nancy his wife sold to Richard GARRETT a tract in Charles Parish, York Co., Virginia, formerly belonging to John GOODWIN bounded by John LESTER, Edmund CHEESMAN deceased; late Colonel John GOODWIN on the west 175 acres TABB possessed by marrying Nancy MOSS, granddaughter of Edward MOSS, deceased, February 16, 1789 [1]

(Edmund CHEESMAN was Edmund Tabb CHEESMAN called Tabb CHEESMAN and his land upon his death went to his MORELAND cousins and his widow married Edmund CURTIS and he got some of the land also. It’s that “strip” of land west of present Route 17 between Surrender Road and Graften Christian Church – not the entire strip of land but part of it. PESCUD had a tract in there and GOODWIN did too but some GOODWIN land went to MOSS via marriages and inheritance.

2. Richard GARRETT Jr. died leaving a will dated January 22, 1802 probated November 20, 1804 of Yorkhampton Parish -- “to wife my plantation on York River where I live; daughter Elizabeth PATRICK;” my land called “Meeting house tract” to son Richard GARRETT; my land called “Anderson’s” to son William GARRETT (under age); son Edmund, GARRETT, son John GARRETT land on York River; son Robert GARRETT; 150 acres to each three sons, daughter Polly (Mary) GARRETT lands in Kentucky and Ohio be sold. My children: Richard, Polly, William, John, Edmund, Robert GARRETT witnesses: Peter GOODWIN Jr.; Willey WRIGHT, Lucy CHEESMAN.

The York River plantation was “Marlbank Farms”.

2. Richard GARRETT Jr. (Richard 1) was left the “meeting house tract”. This was/is the farm that eventually was sold to HOGG and later to LEE and Miss Lula LEE married Mr. Yarrow CURTIS and it became the CURTIS from now owned by Carrie Wray CURTIS. The name “Meeting House Tract” came about by Richard GARRETT Jr. giving to the Baptist a small tract on which Grafton Baptist Church was built. (The first Grafton Baptist Church.) When the Campbellites broke from Grafton Baptist they moved across the road to acreage given to them by Mr. John CURTIS who had purchased the Edward MOSS estate (MOSS and GOODWIN were intermarried more than once.)

Meanwhile Richard GARRETT Jr. made his home on that farm for a while; it was sold to HOGG; later a LEE family purchased it. Miss Lula LEE married Yarrow CURTIS and it became their home. Their only child Wray Lee CURTIS had only one child Carrie Wray CURTIS who presently possesses that farm.

3. William 2 GARRETT, (a son of Richard 1 GARRETT) hired the tract called “Andersons”. This joined the “Meeting House tract”. He was born March 8, 1783 (Charles Parish Register). He married Mary ____. There was no issue. “Andersons” was for sale and Mary GARRETT and Robert B. MORELAND entered into a bargain for the sale of “Andersons” to MORELAND but MORELAND died before totally paid for and transfer completed.

Record shows: “17 July 1848 Commissioners were appointed by decree of York County Court in a suit between GARRETT versus MORELAND, administrator of Robert B. MORELAND’s estate – and others to make sale of a piece of land of one part and William A. NOTTINGHAM – whereas said William H. SHEILD, commissioner advertised said land called “Andersons” for four weeks and highest bidder William A. NOTTINGHAM’s bid for $950 – all that tract belonging to the estate of Robert B. MORELAND, deceased and formerly belonging to Mary GARRETT and conveyed by deed from said Mary GARRETT to Robert B. MORELAND bearing date 20 November 1843 – 196 acres. [2]

(The record continues.[3] July 17, 1848 in a suit in chancery – Mary GARRETT versus John T.MORELAND, administrator of Robert B. MORELAND deceased.)

So the tract became the Nottingham farm. One of Mr. NOTTINGHAM’s daughters Elizabeth (Bessie) NOTTINGHAM married Edward (Ned) DUNN. Today the tract is developed for residences and is known as “Dunn Mor”. Another NOTTINGHAM daughter Leonora (called “Lee”) married Charlie MOORE.

One tract of land in Grafton:

Edward 2 MORELAND (Robert 1 and Dianna Tabb MORELAND) married before or by 1815 Margaret WOOD, daughter of William WOOD of Warwick County. They had the following sons:

Edward MORELAND was born ca. 1786 and he assumed ownership of land in 1807 (so he had to have been age 21 years). This brother-in-law Edmund Tabb CHEESMAN had willed him 75 acres. (The brother-in-law was a first cousin and had no children.)

Edward and Margaret MORELAND made a contract with his nephew, Robert POWELL, December 16, 1835 for 125 acres “where he now resides on the north side of Lewis MORELAND; on the east by John MORELAND and William C. POWELL; west by Tabb CHEESMAN; south by the land called “Andresons” being the two pieces of land heired by Edward MORELAND from Edmond Tabb CHEESMAN and the other two formerly owned by John BENNETT and purchased by MORELAND under a sale mad by M. WILLIS, sheriff of York County.[4]

His will was written October 10, 1838 and was probated November 19, 1838.[5]

William Henry 3 MORELAND born ca. 1815 married twice (1) Frances Anne WYNNE and (2) Mary V. JONES. This William Henry 3 MORELAND and wife Frances sold 100 acres to John R. CHANDLER, a part of the tract belonging to “Edward MORELAND deceased”, bounded on the north by Robert A. MORELAND; east by Lewis MORELAND’s land; south by land of Christopher CURTIS Sr.; west by land of Dr. POWER and John CURTIS, deceased. This was in 1849.[6]

2. John 3 Dunn MORELAND (born by or before 1818) married Julia Ann ___. (She signed a deed February 21, 1839 so all of age). The deed: “—for $367.50 tract of 106 acres – selling to Edmund POWELL, bounded on the east by HARWOOD’s Mill Stream; north by lands of EdwardMORELAND, deceased; west by Thomas P. CHEESMAN; south by lands of Thomas H. McWILLIAMS.[7] (Thelma Hansford descends from Thomas H. McWILLIAMS.)

Robert Alexander 3 MORELAND: a deed made by him May 15, 1857 when he sold to George TREMYER 75 acres for $100.00 land heired by him “from his father EdwardMORELAND deceased.” It was bounded on the north by James WILSON south by John R. CHANDLER; east by the heirs of Lewis MORELAND deceased; and separated from them by the main county road; on the west by lands of John CURTIS deceased.[8]

All three of these MORELAND men relocated outside of York County.

George TRIMYER, a Methodist minister, married Rosanna Winbourne DAVIS (born 1833, died 1859) daughter of Edward and Amelia DAVIS. (The DAVIS family gave the land on which Providence Methodist Church, Grafton is built. So, the DAVIS family lived just outside of Grafton on the Dare Road.)

The Rev. TRIMYER served the Methodist Church (Zion, Tabernacle and Providence). 1850, 1851 York County Marriage Records show that he performed many marriages in the county. The village was named Cockletown. There was a Crab Neck and a Fish Neck since this area was in Tidewater, Virginia. After the Baptist Church was organized following the Revolution and the end of the English Church (Charles Parish) in middle York County, the Baptists named their church Grafton Baptist after the Grafton Community from whence their minister had come. Then the village of Cockletown became Grafton and still bears that name.

I don’t know if they built that house or if the MORELANDs had it constructed. It appears to be of two sections built at different times – better way of saying this: “An addition was added to the original house.” Rev. TRIMYER served those churches in 1861 also.

In 1939 the Methodist Parsonage was sold and it became the home of a private family. It is possible that the present York County Historical Commission may prevent its being demolished for it is among the few remaining old residences in the county.

Directly behind that house has been the last constructed high and middle schools. Grafton High School and Grafton Middle School share the same gymnasium, auditorium and cafeteria – it looks like a small college – built on once MORELAND land. The whole of Grafton was MORELAND land. Today a six lane highway (Rt. 17) runs through the village of housing developments: Grafton Woods; Lakeside Forests; and others and shopping centers, fire station, three churches and 9 stop-lights just to get through Grafton.

Concluded

From Thelma Hansford’s files is a list of Mrs. Helen McCadam’s ancestors written by Mrs. McCadam in 1984. She lived in a motor van or vehicle. In 1984 spring, summer, fall she lived in that vehicle in York County, often parked on church property; court house parking lot, at shopping centers, etc. Daily she read York County Court records. She said she was compiling a Moreland genealogy book. She went south for the winter, said some college students or professor was working on her book. She was suffering from colon cancer. She’s is now deceased.

Go south of Elkton on Hwy. 83 about 2 miles to County Rd. 340. West on 340 to 115, which goes south and then east to cemetery. T35N, R23W, Sec. 3.

Gerald Bollinger, 12702 Crystal Creek Dr., Buda, TX 78610 took the photos of the old graves and Evelyn’s sister and her husband took the ones of the new stones. The stones were so old and worn and the names had been scratched on them, but the one with H W BOLLINGER was easy to read. The others required closer examination.

Henry W. BOLLINGER was located in the 1870 Hickory Co., Missouri census on page 83B, #210. He was age 49, born in Tennessee. His wife, Sarah [MORELAND], was 39 born in Kentucky. They had married in October of the previous year.

Thanks to Evelyn Tharp for this information. She can be contacted at 2400 Hermosa St., Pinole, CA 94564-1512 or via email